Additives in skin, body, bath and hair products

Additives in skin, body, bath and hair products

As I sit here in my warm, cozy home heated by the wood that my family so carefully gathered this summer and fall, I feel we need to discuss additives. Specifically Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate with a little DEA and Propylene Glycol thrown in for good measure.

I have so much competition at craft fairs and yes, the grocery store, health food stores and the specialty soap shops in the mall. I’m not worried - but you should be if you’re not reading labels! Go past the pretty pictures of herbs on beautiful bottles of shampoo that cost many times more than the grocery store brands. Go past the extremely cheap price on warehouse type stores and really READ what’s in your shampoo, toothpaste, body & bath products. “Natural”, “herbal extracts”, etc. do not mean anything!

I will make up a product based on a customer’s wants as long as it does not conflict with my beliefs and limited knowledge of additives. This time it’s bath fizzys/bombs and shampoos. They all seem to list the most dangerous chemical ingredient used (in my opinion) in shampoos, bath and body gels, bubble baths, etc. This chemical Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is used in engine degreasers and garage floor cleaners. It cleans by corrosion. Is used as a skin irritant so they can test healing agents on irritated skin. (Just what I want on my head and body - how ’bout you?).

This chemical detergent has a warning label on it in children’s bubble baths . . . it’s on you a little longer than the wash off product called shampoo. Terrible irritant and can cause lots of problems. It’s so dangerous bubblebath is regulated by the FDA!

The dangers of DEA were noted by Doctor Samuel Epstein, M.D. of the University of Illinois and one of the world’s most foremost toxicologists on CBS This Morning. DEA is “a potential carcinogen” and that even in small doses, repeated use of DEA increases the risk of cancer. (The European government has taken action to phase out its use since the 1980’s).

Propylene Glycol, also known as the main TOXIC ingredient in industrial antifreeze - commonly used in shampoo to give it “glide” and in order to prevent the drying of the product. Known to be an irritant even in low levels of concentration.

My shampoo that I make - Simply Shampoo - may not be thick and gel-like, but it cleans the hair and doesn’t have any of these terrible ingredients in it. My bath fizzys have recognizable, simple ingredients - most of them in your spice pantry. By law I do not need to disclose any ingredients on my soaps unless I make a claim. But we put every single ingredient on each and every bar of soap. Look at the soaps/detergent bars that you are buying . . . do you KNOW what’s in it?

Whether you buy Weber Farms handmade products or not, PLEASE READ YOUR LABELS! It could mean life or death - either from the chemicals that give products “something extra” or from allergens not listed.

Please look “google” Diethanolamine (DEA) - Propylene Glycol - SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and SLES or Sodium Laureth Sulfate and walk in wisdom, she’s a great teacher!

Let’s all get a little healthier together by reading labels and enjoying simpler things . . . like lighting that little 100% beeswax candle and letting the aroma fill the living area while we watch Christmas and Thanksgiving (the turkeys) come down and forage by the oak trees. (You could too - just come visit!).

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That's another reason you should take advantage of Wailana's natural health and beauty product line

Cough medicine worries

Kids and Cough -- What You Need to Know About Your Child's Cough Medicine

For the record, I have to state I am not a medical professional and certainly not a doctor. The below information is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. For goodness sake, see your doctor already!

There are many products to help us with the common cough. Currently, some things you might find include:

antihistamines (eg, brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, loratadine, and diphenhydramine) which help you to produce less mucus by blocking histamine. Most of them can cause drowsiness and some (such as diphenhydramine) are also packaged as both antihistamines (Benedryl) and sleeping pills (Unisom & Nytol). Later antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin) are supposed to be non-drowsy, although truthfully it can be said they cause drowsiness in a much smaller group of people.

decongestants (eg, phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine) which help dry you up by constricting blood vessels. Narrower blood vessels in your sinuses reduces inflammation, but narrower blood vessels elsewhere can be bad if you have conditions such as high blood pressure, arrythmia, or history of stroke. Phenylephrine used to be prescription only (as Entex) and it was pulled from the market voluntarily because a study showed it may increase the risk of stroke. But when the restrictions on pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) tightened to try and reduce the presence of meth (of which, Sudafed is a key ingredient), phenylephrine reappeared as a lower dose over-the-counter. Pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attack and arrythmia at higher doses, which is why you no longer can buy "little white crosses" or "pink hearts" through the mail. Those "stay-awake pills" were nothing more than 60mg-120mg doses of pseudoephedrine.

antitussives (eg, codeine, dextromethorphan, and benzonatate) are supposed to reduce the cough reflex.

expectorants (guaifenesin) loosen mucus and help you cough it up.

HOW THE FDA AFFECTS YOU:
A little history is necessary to understand the problem we face with some cough medicines today. The original FDA in 1906 was concerned more with accurate labeling than drug safety, and primarily people were worried about dangerous food additives rather than medications. Food and drug labels had to be accurate, and the presence and amount of eleven dangerous ingredients, including alcohol, heroin, and cocaine, had to be listed. In 1938, a new act expanded the FDA to allow them to perform inspections, control cosmetics, and to make it illegal to make false or misleading claims about medical products. This also brought about the first prescription-only medications. But it wasn't until an amendment in 1962 that the FDA made it necessary to really prove the safety and efficacy of a drug before it went on the market. The problem was what to do about commonly used drugs that had been out long before 1962. Well, those drugs pretty much stayed on the market. That's why we have stuff like aspirin over-the-counter, even though we still aren't 100% sure exactly all that it does to the human body. In the past couple of years, the FDA has begun a program to evaluate and possibly remove drugs from the market that were brought out before 1962.

SAFETY OF COUGH MEDICINE QUESTIONED:
Between 2004 and 2005, the CDC reported more than 1500 emergency room visits in which children under two were given some form of cough medication. About 10 of 90 sudden infant deaths involved children under 12 months being given a cough medication, many of them were NOT under a doctor's supervision at the time. Even worse, various placebo studies over the last twenty years have indicated that cough medications simply don't work in young children, yet some doctors are unaware of these new studies. Children under 2 also don't have the ability to process codeine, making it much more lethal.

IMPORTANT NOTES TO REMEMBER! WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW


* Don't give children medicine labeled for adults. Children process medications differently because their livers, etc. aren't fully developed. It is also more important to base children's medication on an accurate weight as they have less margin for error. Most bathroom scales are not terribly accurate.
* Buy products with child-resistant caps, but also keep medications out of reach of children and pets. Children are sometimes better at figuring out how to open a bottle than their adult counterparts. And I still tell with horror the tale of the woman who gave her new puppy a prescription of hers to play with. "But it was childproof!" she protested as I explained childproof did not mean puppy-proof. Sure enough, the dog ate the bottom of the bottle right off and then ate her pills and had to be rushed to the vet. I sure hope that woman never has children. Can you imagine giving your child a pill bottle as a fun rattle?
* Don't go by the brand name. Always check the ingredients list to make sure you aren't mixing two types of drugs. You can only take one of each category at a time. That means only one type of antihistamine, only one type of decongestant, only one type of pain medication. (Acetaminophen and NSAIDs are pretty much the only type of OTC pain medications which can be taken together on the same day, and that's another topic altogether.)
* I repeat, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. Don't give more medication than is called for, especially not to your kids. More is not always better. In fact, cough medications may not even work on children as the final studies are still out.
* Use the measuring devices provided with the medication. Don't use regular silverware to measure out a spoonful. Even kitchen measuring spoons don't have to be all that accurate.



Medications are not the cure all for every ailment. People get sick, adults catch 2-4 colds a year and kids usually get 3-10 annually. That's NORMAL. And no medicine can cure the common cold, it only lessens the symptoms to make the cold bearable while it runs its natural course. If your child has a common cold, no medicine is required to make your child well. It will take care of itself in a few days. Now if your child exhibits symptoms that may point to something worse than a simple cold, contact their doctor right away. Don't wait! A phone call doesn't hurt anything and nurses on the phone will be able to tell you whether or not your child needs to be seen. Things to be concerned about include high fever (higher than 102), rash with fever, a cough or congestion bad enough to inhibit breathing, or a 'cold' that refuses to get any better after 3-5 days.

Emotional Stress Linked to Premature Aging

So do yoga with Wailana, and age as gracefully as she!

Emotional Stress Linked to Premature Aging

(NaturalNews) Stress is everywhere. Simply living in the modern world is incredibly stressful. We generally work hard and there is so much pressure to keep going until exhaustion. A significant amount of people are also under incredible emotional stress.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that emotional stress is perhaps the single greatest aging factor. We have all seen how quickly presidents age after four years (of fighting unnecessary wars, for example). This is because stress damages the body in many different ways.

One direct link between psychological stress and premature aging has recently been identified by scientists.

The study involved 39 women, aged 20- to 50 years, who had been experiencing extreme stress for years as a result of caring for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 other similar women whose children were healthy.

The researchers examined structures inside cells called telomeres. Telomeres are the caps at the ends of chromosomes that carry genes. Every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. In the natural aging process, the telomeres eventually get so short that the cell can no longer divide and dies.

As more and more cells die, the effects of aging can be noticed. These include skin wrinkles, weakened muscles, fading eyesight and hearing, organ failure, and diminished thinking abilities.

The researchers also measured levels of an enzyme called telomerase, which helps rebuild telomeres to stave off this process. Telomerase levels naturally decline with age.

The scientists discovered that chronic stress appears to accelerate this process. The longer a woman had been caring for a sick child and perceived her situation as stressful, the shorter her telomeres and the lower her levels of telomerase.

There are many studies that reveal that younger telomeres are linked with exercise. This makes sense since exercise is one of the best ways to relax and de-stress.

This study shows how interlinked our minds and bodies really are, and offers scientific proof that emotional stress is highly aging. It further reveals how important stress relievers such as meditation and practicing yoga are for staying young.

Source: Natural News

Two colors, no matter.

Old story, but makes me wonder nonetheless. This is when it's good to know about yoga - and to not judge people by their skin color or body types. :)

Black and white twins
By LUCY LAING, Daily Mail
Last updated at 08:54 02 March 2006

When Kylie Hodgson gave birth to twin daughters by caesarean section, she was just relieved that they had arrived safely.

It was only when the midwife handed them over for her to hold that she noticed the difference between them.

Remee, who weighed 5lb 15oz, was blonde and fair skinned. Her sister Kian, born a minute later weighing 6lb, was black.

'Our two gorgeous little girls'

"It was a shock when I realised that my twins were two different colours," said Kylie, 19. "But it doesn't matter to us - they are just our two gorgeous little girls."

The amazing conception happened after two eggs were fertilised at the same time in the womb.

Both Kylie and her partner Remi Horder, 17, are of mixed race. Their mothers are both white and their fathers are black.

According to the Multiple Births Foundation, baby Kian must have inherited the black genes from both sides of the family, whilst Remee inherited the white ones.

Kylie, from Nottingham, discovered she was pregnant in the summer of 2004 and a scan at the Queen's Medical Centre revealed that twins were on the way.

"It was a shock at first to discover I was expecting as we hadn't been trying for a family," she said I had my 14-week scan and the sonographer ran the scanner over my stomach and announced that I was carrying twins.

"We couldn't believe it. Neither of us could take our eyes off the scanner - you could just see two of everything, even the outline of their little noses. We were both overwhelmed."

The twins were born by caesarean in April last year because one of the girls was lying in an awkward position in the womb.

"I didn't see them at first," added their mother. "They were both whisked away to be checked over and then the midwife came back and placed them both in my arms.

"I noticed that both of them had beautiful blue eyes, but whilst Remee was blonde, Kian's hair was black and she had darker skin.

"It seemed strange, but I was feeling so ill that I didn't really take it in at that stage."

The next day she mentioned the colour difference to her mother, who told her that Remee's skin would darken as she grew older.

But as the weeks passed, Remee became lighter still while Kian went darker. And while Remee's eyes stayed blue, Kian's turned brown.

"There are some similarities between them," said their mother. "They both love apples and grapes, and their favourite television programme is Teletubbies.

"If they haven't seen each other for a few hours, they are so pleased to see each other and will hold out their arms, wanting to hug each other. And their smiles just light up their faces.

"I'll explain it all to them when they get older about why they look so different."

Million to one odds

The odds against of a mixed race couple having twins of dramatically different colour are a million to one.

Skin colour is believed to be determined by up to seven different genes working together.

If a woman is of mixed race, her eggs will usually contain a mixture of genes coding for both black and white skin.

Similarly, a man of mixed race will have a variety of different genes in his sperm. When these eggs and sperm come together, they will create a baby of mixed race.

But, very occasionally, the egg or sperm might contain genes coding for one skin colour. If both the egg and sperm contain all white genes, the baby will be white. And if both contain just the versions necessary for black skin, the baby will be black.

For a mixed-race couple, the odds of either of these scenarios is around 100 to one. But both scenarios can occur at the same time if the woman conceives non-identical twins, another 100 to one chance.

This involves two eggs being fertilised by two sperm at the same time, which also has odds of around 100 to one.

If a sperm containing all-white genes fuses with a similar egg and a sperm coding for purely black skin fuses with a similar egg, two babies of dramatically different colours will be born.

The odds of this happening are 100 x 100 x 100 - a million to one.

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Living simply?

The agony of seven days without spending
By Steve Almond

(RealSimple.com) -- I like to think of my attitude toward money as enlightened.
Author finds out how he burns up dollars every day without thinking about it.

Author finds out how he burns up dollars every day without thinking about it.

Last summer, for instance, I received a letter informing me that I had won a small grant from the state of Massachusetts. The next day I was informed that I was being audited -- by the state of Massachusetts. Ah well, I thought. The state giveth and the state taketh away.

My friends and family see my attitude toward money in slightly different terms. "You're a total miser" is how my darling wife, Erin, puts it.

In fact, it's a bit worse than that. I'm one of those irritating guys who try to convert self-deprivation into a virtue. I buy my pants secondhand. I hoard hotel soap and used aluminum foil. I eat the not-too-badly-chewed leftovers off my daughter's plate. And I constantly rail against consumerism.

Which is why I recently subjected myself to a little experiment: Could I go a week without spending a single penny? Here was my big chance to showcase all that adorable righteousness! To stage a tour de force, a morality play in seven daily acts! Real Simple: 20 money-saving secrets

This wasn't how I sold the plan to my wife, though. I assured her the point of the challenge was (at least partly) to help me come to terms with my superior attitude toward money. Confronting my reliance on currency might actually lead me to be less judgmental, I argued.

My wife sighed deeply. "Oh God," she said. "This is going to be so annoying."

Saturday

The day begins with my normal ritual: a squash match against my nemesis, Zach. Before we step onto the court, I inform him, apropos of nothing, that I won't be spending any money for the next week. He looks confused, perhaps because he has never before seen me spend money.

In the third game, I rip an incredibly macho forehand and our ball goes dead.

"I'll buy us another," I say. "Oh, wait a second...."

A miffed Zach marches to the front desk to buy the ball himself.

On the way home, we stop to pick up buns from Erin's favorite Portuguese bakery. I could argue that I'm not buying the buns for myself, but rules are rules, so I beg Zach to pay for them.

"Come on," I say. "I'll pay you back next week."

"Isn't that just a deferred purchase?" Zach asks.

I ponder this question, weighing its logic against the prospect of returning home to my wife bunless.

"Listen," I say. "The lettuce in our garden is going crazy. Buy me these buns and I'll give you a bushel of romaine. Dude, that's a straight-up barter."

Sunday

The day starts well. I do not proceed to the nearest Dunkin' Donuts to purchase hot liquid crack. I do not buy the morning paper. Instead, I meditate on the contents of my soul. (This does not take long.)

My afternoon plan is to watch the finals of the European soccer championships at my friend Karl's, but his wife has just had a baby so supposedly they're "tired." We don't have a TV, so I end up at an Irish pub, where the bartender stares at me for 20 minutes, waiting for my drink order. I slink out at halftime.

Monday

Erin and I are on our way back from running an errand with our two-year-old daughter, Josephine. It's rush hour in Boston, Massachusetts, and traffic is barely moving.

"Hey," Erin says. "Let's go to a restaurant."

"Very funny. No spending means no spending."

"Gnocchi in vodka sauce," she says. "Mmm. Shrimp scampi. Lobster ravioli."

"Please shut up," I say.

We dine on day-old sandwich wraps at home. Real Simple: Save money by entertaining at home

Tuesday

Getting a haircut has become increasingly disconcerting as I've entered my slow but inexorable march toward Captain Picarditude. Still, it has become essential that I visit my stylist, Linda, at least once a month, lest my remaining follicles pouf in a manner recalling Robby Benson during his Ice Castles phase.

Complicating matters is the fact that Josephine will be coming along for her debut haircut.

As I ease into the chair, I explain to Linda that I plan to pay her for both haircuts ... next week. "Two baldies coming up!" she shrieks, brandishing her clippers like a Ginsu knife. She's kidding. I think.

Heading home, I pull up at a stoplight. A 10-year-old kid walks up to my window, holding a bucket with the name of a homeless children's shelter.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I can't spend money this week."

Erin digs a handful of quarters from her purse and reaches across my lap. "Here," she says to the kid. "Take this. I apologize. My husband is an idiot."

At this point, three things occur to me, more or less simultaneously:

1. I am an idiot.

2. I spend a lot more money than I ever realized or would admit.

3. While I enjoy having an excuse not to spend money, I do not enjoy feeling like an idiot.

Wednesday

My friend Billy comes over for dinner. The plan was to make him lasagna, but Billy is deeply suspicious of any foods not prepared by restaurant professionals or his grandmother. We opt for Chinese takeout.

On the way to pick up the food, I launch into my rap about how I won't be able to pick up the check, because, see --

"Not a problem," Billy says. "You never pay."

"I do too pay," I say indignantly.

He waits for me to recall a specific instance. Real Simple: Tip on loaning money

Thursday

I occupy the morning making a short list of things I would buy if I could:

1. The new Ike Reilly album.
2. A box of Raisinets.
3. A full-time masseuse.
4. Solar heating panels.
5. A life coach who also does pedicures. (I feel compelled to add that I would share the full-time masseuse with Erin, but only if she agreed to stop insulting me in front of panhandlers.)

Of course, if I allowed myself to spend money, I wouldn't buy any of these things. I would deprive myself of them, very loudly. I would also harangue myself about unreasonable purchases. "Paper towels!" I would roar, as I strolled the aisles at Target. "Who needs those when you can use an old T-shirt?"

But I can't spend money, so all I think about is spending money. I am beginning to see the appeal of those fancy catalogs Erin gets and thumbs through, sighing all the while. It's way more fun to fantasize about purchases than to make them.

How odd. I miss the unctuous attentions of the retail sector, the vaguely cheeselike scent of crisp new bills. Most of all, I miss the brief but potent fantasy that illuminates every cash transaction in our culture: that you can buy happiness.

Friday

On my last day of mandatory penury, we head down to celebrate my wife's birthday with her family. As we reach the tollbooth off the turnpike, Erin is asleep. The toll collector is waiting for his $1.75.

"Honey," I whisper. No response.

This being the Massachusetts Turnpike, within five seconds a horn sounds behind us. Erin opens her eyes and looks around. "Oh, good grief," she says.

Originally we all planned to go out Saturday night, so I could pick up the tab. But when we arrive, Erin's mother announces that we'll be going out tonight.

Marriage has taught me this: You don't throw down with your mother-in-law. So I now explain to my in-laws that I can't contribute a red cent to my wife's birthday dinner. Then I get to spend an hour after dinner watching Erin open presents. Perfume. Gift cards. Bath gel.

Had I planned more effectively, I would have gifts to offer her, too, bought weeks ago. But part of my new attitude toward money involves refusing to consider the ways in which it might make the people around me unreasonably happy.

I watch the wrapping paper pile up. "Remember those diamond earrings I got you for your birthday last year?" I keep saying. "You know the ones I mean, with the diamonds?"

Later, lying in bed, I take stock of my accomplishments. I've stiffed a homeless child. Nearly gotten my daughter scalped. Cheaped out on my wife's birthday. It's not the kind of résumé that shouts "personal growth."

I nudge Erin. "Sweetie? What do you want for your birthday?"

"Sleep," she murmurs.

"Seriously," I whisper. "I will get you absolutely anything you want."

I assume she's thinking about how best to call my bluff. Does she want a bigger house, one with an actual dining room? A car manufactured in this century? Then I hear a very faint snoring noise.

It's almost midnight. I fantasize about slipping out of bed and dashing to an all-night convenience store to buy up their most expensive Hostess product. Would Erin appreciate this gesture? Possibly.

But I know what she would really like -- for me to climb off my high horse and stop sweating the small purchases. To become more relaxed about money. So I lie there in the dark, relaxing about money. In the morning, my wife will get up and I'll announce my new attitude toward money, carefully avoiding the word "enlightened."

The only question now, really, is, Will she buy it?

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Wai Lana's Gem of Wisdom

The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein

Wai lana's Gem of Wisdom

Childhood Obesity

Parents Blame Inactivity for Children’s Obesity
Anna Montage, Health and Wellness Editor

A recent poll found that most parents feel inactivity is the major cause of obesity in children. It makes sense; kids today have far less built-in physical activity in their daily activities. Many children take the bus or are driven to school and they also spend a good amount of time in front of the TV or video games each day. To make matters worse, many schools have cut out recess and physical education classes. Some neighborhoods aren't safe for children to run around and play...

Solution for childhood obesity
The best solution for preventing (and treating) childhood obesity is to try to make exercise a part of kids’ daily routine, even from as young as 1 or 2 years old. This way children learn to enjoy healthy physical activity and it will easily become a life long habit. There are many things you can do to encourage exercise and healthy activity.

Make exercise a fun family activity
Everyone needs to exercise and families need to spend quality time together, so why not exercise together? Some of my happiest childhood memories are of family bike rides, nature walks, hikes and picnics by the lake. So next time you are thinking of taking your kids to a movie, arcade or other some other sedentary activity, why not do something physical instead? Here are some ideas:

• Go for a family bike ride and have a healthy picnic
• Go swimming at the beach, local pool or lake
• Go ice-skating together
• Play a ball game in your local park
• Checkout some hikes or nature walks in your area
• Go for a family walk after dinner
• Do yoga together

Healthy indoor activities
If the weather is not conducive to getting outdoors or if your busy schedule makes it hard for you to walk your children to school or exercise together, there are still things you can do to encourage exercise and healthy activity.

Get your kids into yoga
Yoga is another great way to teach children to be active – even when they’re indoors. Yoga is a fun, noncompetitive sport that kids naturally enjoy, especially when it comes to imitating their favorite animals. Not only is yoga a great way to exercise their growing bodies but it also helps them:

• Develop, co-ordination and balance
• Improve their ability to focus
• Foster creativity
• Deal with stress
• Develop a sense of calm and inner fulfillment
• Build self-esteem and confidence.

Yoga reduces chances of childhood obesity
Yoga increases bodily awareness so your kids will be less likely to overeat and more likely to be attracted to healthier foods and activities. By helping to relieve stress, yoga also helps prevent stress-related overeating.

Make their favorite activity a healthy one
Children love cartoons; they also love to read, dance, sing, play card games and do fun activity books. Wai Lana has taken kids’ favorite activities and turned them into a positive way to nurture a life long attraction to health, yoga and fitness. Her popular Little Yogis line entertains kids and – most importantly – gets them to exercise in a way they love!

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